4imprint Revenues Soar 25% In 2014
4imprint Group PLC, the parent company of Top 40 distributor 4imprint (asi/197045), announced that it increased its revenues by 25% in 2014 to reach $415.8 million. Further, the UK-based company said that its sales totaled $112.2 million in the fourth quarter, an increase of 27%. Read Article

The gains in both the fourth quarter and for full-year 2014 were mostly the result of the success of the company's North American business. The Top 40 distributor grew its sales in the North American market by 28% in the final quarter of the year and by 25% for all of 2014 to reach nearly $400 million in annual sales.

The growth of the company's North American division prompted the organization to announce recently that it is expanding its distribution center in Oshkosh, WI, and adding 150 new employees to its payrolls.

"As a team, we are humbled by the strong customer demand we are experiencing and the loyalty our customers demonstrate," said Kevin Lyons-Tarr, CEO of 4imprint and a member of the Counselor Power 50. "Our ongoing growth and these expansions, in particular, are a credit to our hard-working associates and their commitment to doing right by others every day."

The company's North American division ranks as the third-largest distributor in the ad specialty industry. It has nearly doubled its sales over the past five years.

Alibaba Criticized For “Lax” Operations
Alibaba has been “far too lax” in its business operations, according to a report just released by the Chinese government. The State Administration of Industry and Commerce (SAIC) accuses the e-commerce giant of ignoring illegal activity, and turning a blind eye to the sale of counterfeit goods that include designer bags and smartphones. Read Article

Regulators say the report stems from a July meeting between the company and government officials, but it wasn't released earlier to avoid interfering with Alibaba's $25 billion IPO in September.

Counterfeits are a longstanding issue for Alibaba, which operates a number of popular online shopping sites, including Taobao and Tmall. "Taobao has done a tremendous amount of work towards fighting counterfeits, but it is far from complete," said Bob Christie, a spokesman for Alibaba, in response to the just-released report. "We need more law enforcement agencies to join us in the fight and eradicate the cancer at the roots." Alibaba plans to file a complaint to the SAIC.

Alibaba signed several anti-piracy agreements with luxury brands and industry groups to appease investors' concerns prior to its IPO. It also launched a policy on some of its platforms to ban sellers after three counterfeiting violations. Two years ago, the company removed 114 million product listings from Taobao over a period of 10 months. Alibaba said recently that it has spent $160 million combating the sale of fake goods.

Online Branding Vital For Small Businesses A new survey reveals that most small businesses are planning for growth in 2015, and more than a third of them believe that online branding is going to help them succeed. In fact, 35% of small businesses surveyed by Rocket Lawyer, an online legal services company, said growing an online presence is their top priority in 2015. Read Article

The survey pointed out that a strong online brand is vital for business success today, with 29% of small business owners indicating this factor as their biggest concern.

"The main piece of advice we provide our small business customers when engaging in social media is to put together guidelines in advance," Charley Moore, CEO and founder of Rocket Lawyer, said. "They can do this in their employee handbook or in a separate social media policy. This way, all employees will understand the proper behavior when engaging with followers before they interact with the company's social channels."

While the survey showed that 61% of small businesses grew revenues in 2014 and 80% said they're expecting to do the same in 2015, it also revealed these companies' growing reliance on mobile technology to run their businesses. Sixty percent of small businesses surveyed said they would consider adopting mobile payments in 2015 as a way to offer their customers a more seamless and simple payment experience.

"When deciding whether to adopt a mobile payment strategy, it's important for [a company] to determine if it makes sense for their business by considering the benefits and risks," Moore said. "For example, will it give them more of a competitive edge? Will it encourage one-time customers to become recurring customers due to its ease of use?"

Rocket Lawyer's survey included responses from nearly 500 U.S. small business owners and was conducted earlier this month.

The Joe Show: Cool New ProductsIn this episode of The Joe Show, Managing Editor Joe Haley shows off several new items you can suggest for upcoming promotions. Looking for a perfect item for corporate golf outings or charity tournaments? How about a product that’s well-suited for summer concerts or day camps? Or, need something to quench the thirst of on-the-go consumers? Read Article

Counselor Commentary: The Art Of An Apology
We've all had our failures at work, but they probably don't compare to Gary Szatkowski's colossal mess-up this week. Szatkowski, the lead forecaster at the National Weather Service office in Mt. Holly, NJ, issued an aggressive snowfall map ahead of the Blizzard of 2015. His forecast called for one to two feet of snow from the Philadelphia western suburbs to the New Jersey shore. Now famously instead, the storm tracked farther east, burying New England, but leaving the Mid-Atlantic states mostly unscathed.

After the storm passed, Szatkowski took to Twitter to apologize. "My deepest apologies to many key decision makers and so many members of the general public," he wrote. "You made a lot of tough decisions expecting us to get it right, and we didn't. Once again, I'm sorry."

Yes, yes, these tweets are all very touching, but Szatkowski's forecast wasn't just wrong – it was really, really wrong. Working parents had to take vacation days because schools preemptively closed, businesses lost customers as states of emergency shut down cities, and about 7,000 flights were cancelled, leaving people stranded at airports across the country. Let's not pretend this was a minor inconvenience.

Yet, curiously, the snap social media reaction to Szatkowski's mea culpa wasn't anger or ridicule, but appreciation. (Go ahead, check out his Tuesday Twitter feed). Even national reporters went easy on Szatkowski, acknowledging the storm was challenging to predict. It's enough to make you realize that Szatkowski was on to something.

Apparently, in weather forecasting, just like in business, the words "I'm sorry" do wonders in diffusing a tense situation. Of course, there is an art to apologizing that makes some attempts more effective than others. Business author Bruna Martinuzzi has put together a simple five-step formula: First, say you are sorry; then, state what you did wrong; next, acknowledge how the receiving party must be feeling; fourth, express your sincere regret; and finally, promise not to repeat the behavior.

Any of us can easily follow this advice, whether we're dealing with a client upset with an order error, a business partner who feels he was mistreated, or a subordinate employee who was embarrassed in front of others. Even months or years after a misstep, a heartfelt apology can be a powerful way to repair hurt feelings.

What stops us from apologizing? Psychologists say it's largely pride – either that or just being too insulated to see how we affect others. The best leaders, though, are stand-up people who are authentic and real, instead of self-serving and fake. If you're the former, people will respect you; if you're the latter, people will resent you. Which takes us back to our friendly, apologetic New Jersey forecaster, who somehow this week dodged not one storm, but two. Come to think of it, if he gets the next forecast wrong, he could always get a job in PR.

Take The State Of The Industry SurveyCounselor is currently polling professionals in the industry – both distributors and suppliers – to find out how the market did in 2014 and to get impressions on where the industry is headed in 2015. We need your input. Please take some time to click the appropriate link below and complete the annual State of the Industry survey. Your responses will remain anonymous, and you'll be helping to create Counselor's annual State of the Industry report.

Distributors,click here to take the distributor State of the Industry survey.

Suppliers,click here to take the supplier State of the Industry survey.

Obituary: Jerry Ficke, Associated Premium Corporation
Jerry Ficke, of Associated Premium Corporation (asi/126400), died on January 4 at his home after a long battle with lung cancer. He was 65.

Ficke enjoyed a four decade career in sales and marketing and developed many long-lasting business relationships. He was devoted to his family and a lover of sports, boating and music. "We were so fortunate that he fought this battle for a long time, and because of that, we all had more time to spend with him," said Randy Ficke, Jerry's brother and the president of Associated Premium. "He will be missed by his large circle of family, friends and business associates."

Ficke is survived by his wife Cathy Jo, children Leah, Gina and Ryan, sisters Janice, Debbie and Kathleen, brother Randy, and seven grandchildren. Services were held on Wednesday, January 7 in Kentucky. Memorial donations in Ficke's name may be made to Chicks & Chucks Breast Cancer Foundation, P.O. Box 76166, Highland Heights, KY 41076.

ASI Radio: Tips For Growing Sales This Year
On a recent Tuesday Morning Show, the hosts gave callers advice for ways to expand their businesses in 2015. Wondering what markets are the best to target for growth right now? Should you be ramping up your marketing efforts in a time of increased opportunity?

Click here to listen to the complete call-in segment. If you missed any recent show, recording are now available at www.asicentral.com/radio. And, don't forget to join us for our next broadcast on Tuesday, February 3. Log on at 10:30 a.m. ET to listen to the show – and give us a call at (215) 953-4979 to hear your voice on the air.

Call For Entries: Fastest-Growing Companies
Has your company been experiencing incredible growth over the past few years? We'd like to hear from you. Click here to nominate your company for Counselor's annual recognition of the Fastest-Growing Companies in the industry.

Both suppliers and distributors are eligible to enter. Questions about the Fastest-Growing Companies program? E-mail Karen Akers at kakers@asicentral.com.

Nominate Now For Counselor's Hot List
Are you doing something unique, hip, fun or trendy in the industry right now? Do you know somebody who is?

Counselor is looking for nominations of people for its annual Hot List. We're on the lookout for anyone in the industry who is taking an interesting approach to business, shaking up the status quo or simply networking like a maniac at all hours of the night. We're in search of those people who are making the industry a unique marketplace that's fun and energetic.

Send an e-mail by Friday, January 30, to Karen Akers at kakers@asicentral.com explaining why your nominee should be recognized on Counselor's Hot List. And, please make sure to include a picture of the person you're nominating. Thanks!

In The News
Hanes Branded Printwear (asi/59528) has expanded its X-Temp collection with new T-shirt styles for women and youth and new sportshirts for men and women. In addition, the supplier announces the Hanes X-Temp Cool Cashscreenprinter rebate program, which allows suppliers to receive a $1.00 per-piece rebate on X-Temp sportshirts and $0.50 per piece on tees purchased from wholesalers before June 30, 2015. For more information, visit www.hanesink.com.

iPROMOTEu (asi/232119) announces that affiliate Harry Ein has been named the Distributor Sales Representative of the Year by Advantages magazine, a sister publication of Counselor.

Logomark (asi/67866) now offers the Original Whizzie SpotterTie, a silicone luggage spotter and cable tie that's available in over 30 styles and can be customized to match any brand or tagline. Visit www.logomark.com for more information.

Penn Emblem (asi/77120) has launched a new series of instructional videos for decorators and other apparel professionals. Topics include heat-sealing thick garments, proper emblem placement, label tape and machine maintenance and more. Visit www.pennemblem.com to view the videos.

The Premier Group Network announces that Creative Studio Promotions (asi/170976) has joined as a new member.

Toddy Gear Inc. (asi/91411) has launched a new catalog and website, which include new marketing tools such as lifestyle images of products, new product descriptions, up-to-date specifications and newly-published 2015 pricing. For more information, visit www.toddypromo.com.

People On The Move
Frosty Towel/A Quiver Full (asi/30267) has appointed Rick Dean to represent the company in Florida, as well as Lee Pearson Associates to represent the company in GA, TN, AL, MS, SC, NC.

JOIN THE NETWORKING CLUBS AT ASI SHOW ® DALLAS NEXT WEEK
There's an exciting NEW initiative at ASI Show Dallas in 2015 – our Networking Clubs. We spoke to the locals for recommendations to their favorite places and designed a few casual events to bring together industry people with shared interests for networking and fun. Some familiar faces from ASI will host each event to keep the conversation going.

Join us for:

The Explorers Club • Tuesday, February 3 • 1:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. • $25
Get a small taste of indoor adventure as we literally scale the walls at Dallas's premier climbing gym, Summit Gym. Max 10 people.

Since space is limited, be sure to secure your spot for the clubs you are interested in when you register for ASI Show Dallas. Already registered? Log in to your existing registration and update it today. For more information, visit www.asishow.com.

Join us at the ASI Show in 2015:
Dallas • Education: February 3 • Exhibits: February 4-5
Long Beach • Education: March 24 • Exhibits: March 25-26
New York • Education & Exhibits: May 5-6
Chicago • Education: July 14 • Exhibits: July 15-16

Plus, don't miss the ASI Roadshow, the industry's #1 traveling show. Visit www.asiroadshow.com for the complete schedule and go to www.asishow.com for information on all ASI Shows.